I’ve just returned home from an amazing 2-week vacation in London, northern England, and Paris, and honestly, it was just the reset I needed. It’s crazy how quickly a change of routine and scenery can affect so many other elements of your day. Even though I wasn’t really getting enough sleep and walking crazy amounts each day, I still found I needed less coffee and was eating a lot less food. I think after the past couple of years of doing little other than working, I had fallen into a boredom rut and was mindlessly eating just to try to create some pleasure in my day, and the stimulation I was getting from new experiences filled that void. 

I came home feeling back in touch with my body and my needs after years of slipping away, and I’ve already taken some steps to honor what I need to move forward in my life. I reduced my hours at work so I could devote more time to my coaching business without burning myself out. I’ve set up a new gym class schedule, including a Yin Yoga class that I am already really enjoying. And I’ve been trying to be more mindful about when and how I choose to eat and trying to catch those moments when I find myself eating for emotional reasons so I can instead identify and fix the actual problem.

During our trip, I noticed I was a lot more intentional about choosing what to eat, considering my plans for the rest of the day and how my choice might make me feel physically. I found that I gravitated towards cold, crunchy things after walking around in the hot sun. I felt completely satisfied with my choices and had no desire to mindlessly snack. In Paris, especially, I was surrounded by beautiful and intricate desserts and allowed myself as many as I wanted, whenever, and it was the first time in my life I had difficulty finishing a dessert, probably because it was so satisfying on so many levels.

My husband and I wanted to try everything but we also wanted to be really intentional about not over-ordering; I hate food waste and we had no way to save and reheat leftovers. Our solution was to order a few things we could both enjoy and share, which resulted in a more engaged and mindful mealtime where we truly took the time to taste and enjoy everything, discuss our favorites, and get inspired about dishes we could recreate back home.

I came home inspired to continue eating that way, mindfully, seasonally and treating meals with the respect they deserve. I hope to recreate some of the dishes we ate while dining out, and I’ll be sharing some of them on my Instagram page, @stacihowletthc . If you’re not already following me there, check it out! 

This is a pretty broad overview of some of the concepts of Intuitive Eating, but I’m planning to go a bit deeper on the official principles in upcoming posts. If you want to explore the topic more on your own, here is a great link to get started! 

I’d love to hear from you- is mindful eating something you are trying to incorporate into your life? What does it mean to you? What are some of your biggest wins and challenges?

#mindfuleating #intuitiveeating #livingwithintention